Malda, April 1: The Malda district Congress called off tomorrow’s 12-hour bandh at the instance of PCC chief Priya Ranjan Das Munshi, an hour after it was announced this afternoon in Chanchol.

The bandh had been called to protest against the murder of a man, Mobaraq Hossain, in Rampur, 100km from here, last night. The Congress has claimed that Hossain was a party worker.

Block Congress president Abdul Hai alleged that a gang of nearly 20 CPM goons had shot at Hossain and then stabbed him repeatedly. His wife Rebaful Bibi suffered deep cuts on two of her fingers from the knives of the criminals when she came to his rescue. She was admitted to Chanchol hospital.

According to Hai, the Congress had organised a road-show from 9am to 5pm yesterday to campaign for Asif Mehboob, the Congress candidate for the coming Kharba Assembly by-elections.

The CPM goons had attacked Hossain when he was on his way back home from the roadshow. They intercepted him 500m from his house.

The zonal committee secretary of the CPM, Nimai Saha, however, denied that his party had anything to do with the murder. He alleged that Hossain died because of a rivalry between two groups of the Congress. Hossain was known as an extortionist in the locality, Saha alleged.

“The Congress has exposed itself by claiming Hossain as one of its members. We want the police to investigate the matter thoroughly and arrest the culprits. The Congress is out to vitiate the atmosphere before the elections,” Saha said.

But although 24 hours have passed since Hossain was murdered, the police could not arrest any of the culprits, causing tension in the area.

District superintendent of police Satyajit Banerjee, who had visited Rampur, said an FIR has been lodged against 18 people. All those named in the complaint have fled the area.